Dawn
by Luna x3
Summary: My version of the final installment of the Twilight saga, for the true version left me heartbroken and disappointed. Hope you enjoy!
1. Preface & Crime

D A W N

**D A W N**

_My Version of Part Four of the Twilight Saga_

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_The wind is rushing after us, and the clouds are flying after us, and the moon is plunging after us, and the whole wild night is in pursuit of us; but, so far we are pursued by nothing else._

A Tale of Two Cities

--

**P R E F A C E **

Death and I had known eachother for a long time, now – We were old friends. Pals, even.

We had shook hands more than several times, exchanged words – but never more than parting words. The words of those who were to do their best to avoid eachother.

I wasn't surprised when Death wished to greet me again – I had learned to come to expected my unwanted visitor, for as much as I avoided it, it was inevitable; I knew now that there was no way to ever escape what was meant to be.

I was afraid, of course. It was reasonable to be afraid; expected, even. I could not help but be afraid, no matter how prepared I was to greet it.

But at the same time, I could not help but feel strong. I would not go down without a fight.

Because I knew that I would not have to face Death alone, and such comfort brought me strength.

--

1. C R I M E

I inhaled deeply, trying to return my pulse to its natural rhythm.

It was a futile attempt, of course; my breathing continued to come out in short gasps, an aching feeling settling in my chest.

Familiar hands positioned themselves on my waist, a low chuckling sounding in my ear. "You look so guilty – like you've committed a crime."

I turned to face Edward, attempting to scowl at him. Technically, he was the root of all my anxiety – or more specifically, the anxiety caused by the ring that he had placed on the third finger of my left hand . . .

I couldn't be mad at Edward, of course. That was an impossible task; it was impossible feat to even scowl at his godlike face, to glare at his warm, golden eyes. . .

He cleared his throat, and I was suddenly aware of the familiar rush of heat settling beneath my skin, the familiar watery-feeling weakening my knees. It was easy to lose my grip on reality whenever I was with him.

"I _have_ committed a crime, you know. In Charlie's book, anyway." I groaned, imagining the possible scenarios: Charlie reaching for his gun . . . Charlie attempting to strangle Edward, too late realizing that you could not choke someone who did not need to breathe . . .

"Bella, marriage is not a _crime_." He rolled his eyes at me, but he could not help but smile. "I'm sure that Charlie will be happy, in his own way. After," he added, chuckling as I looked at him in disbelief, "he's had time to think it over, of course."

It was my turn to roll my eyes. "Whatever, Edward. Obviously you've never met my father."

He laughed as he guided me to the door, shaking his head as I froze, my body as rigid as a statue. He found the familiar key that was placed under the eave, and gently turning it in the door.

Distant sounds of the game greeted us in the hallway. I turned to Edward again, gazing into his angel eyes. "Is he in a good mood, at least?"

Edward paused for a moment, then nodded. "Very calm," he whispered.

"Bella?" Charlie called out, and at the sound of his voice, my breathing began to hitch again, a strangled sound escaping my lips.

Edward grabbed me by my elbows, pulling me close to him. "Can you do this?" It was the first, true hint of doubt that I had heard in his voice since agreeing to marry him. I looked into his eyes again – his smoldering, liquid eyes – and I found myself sighing, the anxiety lifting. I just had to remind myself of what I was gaining out of this . . . what being married to _Edward_, the most perfect man in existence, truly meant. "Yes," I whispered back. "I'm ready."

We walked slowly into the living room together, Edward's arm wrapped firmly around my waist, as if he expected me to collapse – honestly, I didn't blame him . . . especially with my accident-prone history.

"Hi, Dad." I wasn't surprised when no sound had come out, other than a dry, raspy noise. I swallowed, trying again. "Hey, Dad."

Charlie's eyes barely left the screen. "Hey, Bells. Have a good day?"

I swallowed again, trying to rid my throat of the dry, cracked feeling. "Um. Yeah."

Edward chuckled again – it was obvious that I wasn't going to make this easy. "Actually, Charlie, we have something that we'd like to tell you."

I instinctively hid my left hand behind my back. He laughed again, but only soft enough for me to hear.

Charlie's eyes tore away from the screen, his attention fully fixed on my face – he had seemed to have forgotten the game entirely. "You have something to tell me?" His voice was immediately laced with heavy suspicion, his eyes narrowing at the red blotches that I was sporting on my cheeks.

"Um. Yeah." I was full of award-winning responses today, apparently.

"Have a seat." His voice had a sharp edge to it that I normally would have found alarming. I attempted to pretend that I hadn't heard it, gratefully collapsed onto the couch; my knees were going to give out soon, anyway.

"Bella, if you will?" Edward's eyes were on me now, making me all the more aware of the familiar heated that cloaked my face. I blinked, surprised to find tears in my eyes. Was I going to express any rational emotion today?

"Dad, Edward and I . . ." My voice sounded horrible; rather than announcing a wedding, it sounded more appropriate for a funeral. I cleared my throat, ready to start again, when I noticed Charlie's face. His normally pasty pallor had deepened to a rich purple, furious spots of red sprouting up on his cheeks. His jaw had fallen open, his eyes widening to the point of nearly bulging from his skull; they were clearly horrified at whatever they were seeing.

I followed his line of vision . . . it fell onto my left hand, which I had left completely exposed on top of my knee..

_Crap_.

I groaned, bringing my hands to my face. This was stupid. I had known that this was a bad idea! I shouldn't have listened to Edward . . . I shouldn't have agreed . . .

"Bella?" Edward's voice was no more than a soft breath in my ear. I pulled my hands away from my face, afraid to peek, afraid to inspect the damage . . .

"Bella . . . I'm not sure of what to say." Charlie's voice was surprisingly even; I was forcibly reminded of the calm before a storm. "Are you . . . pregnant?" The word was strangled, almost beyond the point of recognition.

My face might as well have set on fire. No, Dad . . . of course not. I've already told you, Edward's old fashioned."

He cleared his throat, obviously glad have been spared _that_ nightmare. "Right, then." His voice was still deadly, frighteningly calm.

I suddenly remembered Edward – he was probably enjoying himself through all of this. I glanced up at him, my suspicions confirmed – his golden eyes were shining with what could only be amusement, the corners of his lips twitching slightly.

"Charlie, I truly love your daughter. I love her more than I have ever loved anyone, or anything. She is my life now – my everything. I thought it only reasonable that if a man feels this way about a woman, and if the woman's feelings are mutual – and by chance, Bella so happens to feel the same way about me as I do about her – then it's only natural that they are joined together in the most holy of ways possible."

Edward's words – spoken in a soft rush – were a symphony, complete by the velvet, perfect voice that they were spoken in. I could not stop the tears that flowed out of my eyes and ran down my cheeks, or the sudden pounding of my heart. Edward's hand was suddenly in mine, and the pounding grew worse. My love for him was impossible; impossibly strong, impossibly unbreakable.

"Are you okay?" His voice was barely more than a breath of air, again just loud enough for me to hear – this did not stop me from noticing his alarm. I laughed weakly. Of course my reactions were ridiculous; if one hadn't known better, it would have looked that I was crying out of grief, and not out of happiness. I nodded, offering him a trembling smile.

For a moment, I had almost forgotten the ticking time bomb sitting across from us – Charlie, weighing the idea of our engagement. I braced myself; I was ready now. I cleared my throat, preparing myself to speak.

"Dad –"

But Charlie's voice suddenly interrupted me, as loud and as fierce as gunfire.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?"

I winced. "Dad, please, listen . . ."

"YOU ARE NOT MARRYING THAT BOY! DO YOU REALIZE HOW OLD YOU ARE? HOW IRRESPONSIBLE YOU'RE BEING?"

I rolled my eyes. "Dad, give me a chance to explain."

"DID YOU NOT LEARN ANYTHING FROM WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN YOUR MOTHER AND I? OF ALL THE IRRESPONSIBLE THINGS . . ."

My pulse began to quicken, but this time in anger. "Yeah, Dad. Exactly. I've had time to think this through, and I know that things will work with Edward. It's not like how it was with you and Mom . . . I'm sure of that. I know better."

"OVER MY DEAD BODY WILL YOU MARRY THAT BOY!"

"Dad, I don't need your permission to marry him. I'm not a minor, and we can easily go off to Vegas, if that's how you want it –"

Edward's voice was suddenly in my ear, a nearly inaudible murmur; "Stop. He's too angry – we'll have to let him sleep on it."

I opened my mouth to protest, but he stopped me, gently squeezing my hand. "Worse comes to worst, we ask Alice."

I nodded, just barely enough for Edward to see. I stood up, inhaling deeply, attempting to gain control over my anger.

"Edward, I think it's best you leave now. Charlie and I have a lot to discuss."

Edward nodded, keeping up the charade; his eyes were innocent and unknowing. I followed him to the door, kissing him lightly before he darted off into the trees.

I gently closed the door, and then returned to the living room. Charlie seemed to have calmed down slightly, now that Edward was no longer in his presence.

"Dad, I don't know _where_ you come off doing this to me . . . to Edward, especially. It's not _fair_."

"Not _fair_? I'll tell you what's not fair, Bella. What are you going to do when he leaves you again, huh? When he abandons you when you need him most? Will it be _fair_ then? I'm not going to have that happen to you again. I won't allow it."

I sighed. "Dad, do you really think I'm that stupid? That I'd put myself back into that position? Edward's not going anywhere, and neither am I."

"You're right – you aren't going anywhere. You're staying right here, where I can keep an eye on you. I don't want you seeing _that boy_ anymore."

I sighed. I hated to pull this out, but I didn't appear to have any other choice. "I'm 18, Dad, and I love him. I've never been so sure about anything in my life. And if you can't respect me enough to trust what I am a hundred percent sure of, then, well . . ." I shrugged. "I have other places to go, where I am more than welcome."

"Bella . . ."

I ignored him, walking towards the stairs. I knew it wouldn't be long before Edward appeared in my room, and the sooner I'd see him, the sooner I would be able to calm down, to relax , to let myself go in his arms . . .

As I neared the top of the staircase, I heard Charlie sigh. "Bella . . . I'm not happy about this."

His words were a resignation; I had won.


	2. Thoughts

2

2. T H O U G H T S

--

Naturally, Edward was waiting for me. After securely closing my bedroom door behind me, I flew to his arms, unable to stop the fresh wave of tears.

"Bella," he murmured, his stone-cold embrace immediately comforting me. "I never intended for you to feel this way . . . to cause you so much distress . . ."

I blinked, his words startling me out of my tears. "What are you talking about? What did _you_ do?"

His eyes searched my own, clearly puzzled. "For putting you through all of this, for my own selfish intentions . . . You never wanted to get married, and I should not have made you feel so obligated as to force yourself to experience the pain that you are feeling right now. . ." As evidence, his finger caught one of the tears that had made it only halfway down my cheek.

I laughed now, surprised that I was able to do so. "Edward, I'm not crying _because_ we're getting married; please don't think that."

"But earlier, when I was explaining to Charlie the reason as to why we wished to be married . . ." He shook his head, his eyes slightly unfocused as he considered the memory. "You seemed so sad."

I smiled at him, at his ignorance. "Edward . . . I wasn't crying out of sadness. Couldn't you have seen that?"

The confusion was still plain in his golden eyes. "It's hard to tell . . . especially when I can't hear what you are thinking. You have no idea how frustrating it is for me." He gathered my hands in his own, gently resting his lips on my fingertips. "To never be able to answer the unknown questions that haunt your eyes . . . to know why you're sad, why you're hurt . . ." He sighed regretfully, his breath cool on my skin. A sad feeling welled up in the pit of my stomach then; the sadness for his pain. I found solace in the fact that my next words would be happy ones; they were sure to please him.

"I was crying because . . . well, I guess I finally realized _why_ you want to marry me so badly. How much it really means to you. Being married . . . it doesn't seem like such a bad thing, anymore."

His eyes met mine though, butterscotch and lovely. A mixture of joy and relief washed over his expression, melting away the mask of hurt and frustration that had plagued his features before. "You truly mean that? You aren't just trying to appease me?"

I laughed lightly, a tremor of overwhelming happiness creeping into my voice. "_I love you_. I want to spend the rest of my life – no, the rest of _forever_ – with you. And if it means being your bride . . ." I smiled at the rapture that warmed his golden eyes, at the way his lips form the crooked smile that made my heart burst. "…then, 'I do'."

He kissed me then, his lips meeting mine in a surge of passion that was overwhelmingly strong. My heart hummed in my chest, forgetting how to beat properly, unable to find a steady rhythm. He held me closer, his embrace erasing any doubts that I had ever had, making me realize the pure clarity of my decision; of my future.

--

I had had no intentions of sleeping that night; the argument of the evening had left adrenaline running through my blood, and being with Edward certainly didn't tranquilize me – not when everything was so perfect, when the mood was so set . . .

Well, _nearly_ set.

Sometime in the middle of the night, as I lay in Edward's arms, we were interrupted. He had stiffened suddenly, immediately pulling himself away from our hold. I was shocked at the tremor of discomfort that I felt at this, and I struggled to study his face in the darkness of the room for some sort of explanation.

"Charlie," he whispered. "He wishes to speak with you."

I could not help but notice the hardness in his tone, the curt way he spoke the words . This wasn't going to be a good talk, I could tell.

"Come back later, please," I whispered back. He nodded once before darting out the window, his absence deadening the euphoria that I had felt earlier.

The door to my room opened half a second later. "Bells?" Charlie's voice was little more than a whisper.

"Yeah, Dad. I'm awake."

"Oh. I figured you would be. I couldn't sleep, either."

For a brief moment, I felt a touch of guilt.

Charlie walked into the room then, sitting himself on the rocking chair that sat in the corner. "Bella . . . I want to start out by apologizing."

This was new. I'd figured that _I_ would have to be the one doing the apologizing here . . . at least, from Charlie's perspective.

"I guess I should have realized that this was coming . . . You're a big girl now, and I guess you're really in love with this kid." He was mumbling now; it was obvious that he wasn't fond of the idea of _who_ I loved.

"But I'm not sure if you ever took the time to consider your options. I understand that you're pretty mature for your age, and that you tend to have good sense of things." He sighed, his gaze falling to the floor. "But from experience, I can tell you that this 'love' business has a way of clouding one's judgment."

I winced. Renée, again.

"I just want to make sure that you're doing what's best for you . . . that you aren't just rushing into things. Have you considered your other options?"

"Other options?" It was the first time that I had spoken, the words tumbling unwillingly from my lips. I was surprised at the harsh quality of my voice, at how immediately defensive I had sounded.

"Edward isn't the only man in the universe."

I closed my eyes, letting my head fall onto the pillow. I knew where this was going, and I didn't want to hear it. I realized now why Edward hadn't sounded happy with whatever he had grasped of Charlie's thoughts . . .

"Bella, please, hear me out. At least listen to what I have to say."

I kept my eyes tightly closed, trying to steady my thoughts. "Fine."

"Bella . . . I'm not blind. I know that you're pretty crazy about Edward. But that's not to say that when Edward left you last year . . .Well, frankly, I was so sure that you and Jake – "

"Dad. Please. Not now." Even though I had known that Jacob's name was going to rear its way into the conversation, I could not help but feel the familiar, bitter resentment rise up inside of me.

"Bella, I've spoken to Billy . . . Jacob hasn't been taking things well. Billy hasn't even seen him in the past few days . . .Billy suspects that he's needed time to clear his head, to get over things." Charlie's voice was hard; he was ready to defend himself, anticipating my reaction.

Instantly, Jacob's face flashed into my mind; the hollow sadness that had filled his gentle brown eyes as we had said our goodbyes. I was surprised at the sudden pain that I felt in my heart; the familiar pain of that tiny piece that remained in Jake's possession.

"Bella, I know what it's like to be in love, and I know what it's like to rush into things. You might think that Edward is right for you now, but . . ." He shrugged. "What if you regret it later? What if you don't realize that until it's too late?"

The phantom wound healed over instantly as my defense for the bigger half of my heart, Edward, kicked in. "Dad, I won't regret it. I've never been so sure about anything in my life. I've been with him for a long time, now, and I know that this is it. I'm not going to get another chance like this."

I heard Charlie mutter something incoherent. I didn't have to be a mind reader to know what he was mumbling about.

"Dad, I _love_ him. Is that so hard to accept?"

He muttered again, and then he sighed. "Maybe I'm just afraid of losing you, Bells. I don't know."

I didn't have an answer for that one.

Because he _was_ losing me, in the long run. After Edward and I got married, after the honeymoon . . .

I wasn't going to be Bella Swan, Chief Swan's daughter, anymore.

I was going to be something new. Something alien, something different.

And I certainly wasn't going to be able to see Charlie anymore.

He cleared his throat in my silence, mistaking it for defiance. "You're right, Bells. I'm sorry – I _should_ trust you. If you really love him . . ." – more muttering under his breath – "Then I guess I can't really stop you from marrying him."

I sighed, pushing the thoughts of _that _future aside. This was what was going on now; my marriage, and Charlie. I'd worry about everything else later.

"Thank you, Dad. Your word means the world to me."

"Sure, Bella. Of course." The words were mumbled in his embarrassment and although my eyes were closed, I knew that if I'd opened them I would have seen the familiar crimson creeping onto his face. A small smile formed on my lips.

But as he shuffled out of my room, closing the door behind him, it was impossible to smile; to silence the spiteful thoughts that swirled through my mind.

Jacob, sad and alone, doomed to spend the rest of his life knowing that his love had chosen someone else.

_Until he imprints, _a tiny voice reminded me.

I pressed my head deeper into the pillow, waiting. Edward would be back at any moment. I had promised him that I would never think about Jacob again – and for his sake, I wouldn't. Edward deserved better than that – someone better than a foolish girl who wasted time on foolish worries.

And so when he rejoined me, curling up beside me on my bed and holding me close to his marble chest, I had never been more grateful that he was not able to hear my mind.

--


	3. Dream

3

3. D R E A M

--

I had not expected to sleep that night – I had had every intention of laying curled in Edward's arms, simply enjoying his presence.

But like every night, exhaustion pulled me under eventually, blending my soft reality into the harsh angles of a dream.

I was moving; the air sped past me at terrifying speed, whipping against my skin, clawing me like fingernails. My eyes were open as wide as they could go, and though I did not try, it seemed that they would be impossible to close. The only sound came from the soft, crunching sound of feet beating the ground.

I came to a sudden stop as I reached the edge of a cool, clear lake. I was suddenly on my knees, staring into the water, searching . . .

I gasped in surprise at the face that glowered back at me.

Bree, the young vampire from the clearing.

Fear radiated through me as I stared into her unblinking red eyes, paralyzing me. I could not run, could not flee; I could only stare.

And then her lips twisted into an evil smirk, revealing her pointed white teeth. I waited for the familiar racing of my pulse, the tightening of my airways as I struggled to breathe . . .

Nothing. My heart had never been more still.

I was confused. Hadn't I been afraid? I was surprised at the sudden calm that settled over me. I suddenly realized that I was smiling, too – my lips had curled into a similar smirk.

I blinked at Bree's face, trying to make sense of what was going on. And then when I opened them again, the truth struck me.

The black hair that had framed Bree's face suddenly flowed down to her shoulders in lazy, mahogany swirls. The lips, still stretched into a tight smirk, were just a little too full for her jaw line.

She winked at me

I wasn't staring at Bree.

I was staring at my own reflection.

I awoke then, a scream ripping its way out of my throat. "Bella?" Edward's face hovered in front of my own, his hands lightly cradling my face. His golden eyes were deep with concern.

I shivered, but not from the cold.

"Bella? Are you alright?" His eyes searched my face, noting the trembling of my lips, and the chalky paleness of my skin; all of the blood had rushed from my face.

"I'm fine," I whispered, pulling my lips into an unconvincing smile. He frowned. "Bad dream?"

I nodded, wrapping my arms around him. The fear was dissipating now, replaced by the comfort of his touch, of his voice. It _was_ just a dream . . .

"Would you like to go back to sleep?"

I shook my head. "I'm not sure if I can." The image of crimson irises branded my eyelids, burning brightly every time I closed my eyes for more than a few seconds.

"Do you want me to sing to you? I'll sing all night if it will keep the bad dreams away." He smiled now, though the concern was still deep in his voice.

"No, that's okay." I smiled back, my heart speeding again – only this time, it wasn't out of fear. "It's not like there's much night left, anyway."

He nodded. "That's true. Of course, there's enough left for me to otherwise occupy your time while you wait for Charlie to awaken . . ."

And with that, his lips were on mine.

--

"Where are you off to, today?"

Charlie and I had been sitting in silence at the breakfast table, the mood still slightly awkward after our conversation the night before.

I swallowed a spoonful of cheerios. "Um. I was planning on going to the Cullen's."

"Of course." His expression darkened, his eyes falling to rest on his coffee cup while he muttered something unintelligible.

"Uh, yeah. Alice wants to get started on the wedding planning. You know how she is with that kind of thing." I laughed weakly, in a poor attempt to lighten the mood.

"Right, Alice." He pursed his lips; I knew that I was about to receive another Charlie-esque lecture. I sighed, mentally readying myself.

"Bella, I know that you're marrying Edward . . ." His voice broke a little on the word 'marrying', his face turning red. He cleared his throat. "But remember what I spoke to you about a little while ago? About balance?"

I held back the urge to roll my eyes. "Uh, yeah. But Alice really needs me today."

"Bella, I know that you're not going over there just to see Alice. In fact, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that you wouldn't want to have anything to do with the actual wedding planning at all."

I blushed. "Well, I _do_ need to be fitted for the dress. And I would like some kind of say of which names go on the guest list . . ." I could only imagine what a nightmare that'd be – I could only hope that I'd be able to reign Alice in.

"Maybe that's true. But Bella, you're about to get married, you're going off to college . . ." He shook his head. "Time's passing too quickly, and I'm not ready to say goodbye just yet."

Our cheeks wore a matching shade of red.

"You know, Dad . . . the fact that you can't stand when Edward's around here doesn't help the situation. I'm sure he would be willing to come here, instead of having to have me go there . . ."

"Fine." He grumbled. "But remember – balance. It's not just about me, Bells. Your other friends – "

"Are still a part of my life, and I'll make time to visit them before I set off. I promise." I rolled my eyes at him, smiling lightly. Better to cut him off now, before he mentioned Jacob again . . .

"I'm glad you understand." He smiled back, patting the back of my hand. I cleared my throat.

"Just as long as you're nicer to Edward. After all, in a couple of months . . ."

" . . . he'll be my son-in-law. I know, I know." He frowned. "That's going to take some getting used to."

A gentle knock on the door set off my pounding heartbeat, an easy smile playing its way onto my lips. "Speak of the devil," Charlie muttered as I happily ran to the door, eagerly yanking it open.

Edward smiled crookedly as I greeted him with a warm smile, laughing lightly at my over-eagerness. He brushed a strand of hair from my face as he gazed at me with warm eyes; even the most minimal contact, his fingers lightly brushing against my cheek, sent shivers down my spine.

"Are we ready to go?" His eyes grew unfocused for a moment as he listened to Charlie's thoughts, his expression changing to one of amusement as he recalled our conversation. Rather than waiting for a response, he chuckled.

"You're right about Alice, you know. She's already heavily into the planning." He frowned in mock pity, his eyes alight with his enjoyment. "She plans to open fire the second you set foot in the house."

I groaned. "Do we have to go?"

"Unfortunately, we do. However, I do promise to make it up to you later." He clasped his hand in mine and gently brought it to his lips, brushing them lightly on the back of my hand. I shivered in pleasure.

"Let's get this over with, then, so that later can come sooner."

He laughed as he guided me out of the doorway, leading me to the ultimate destruction of my afternoon.


	4. Vision

4

4. V I S I O N

--

Having Alice plan my wedding was not nearly as bad as I had imagined it to be.

It was worse.

"Bella, hold _still_. I'll never get this right if you keep squirming like that." Alice shook her head at me, sighing lightly. "You'd think I was asking you to dress up like a clown, the way you're acting.

I grimaced. "Might as well have," I muttered, straightening my back as Alice studied the fabric that crinkled at my waist. "And anyway, Alice, not all of us have the ability to remain as motionless as a statue."

She laughed lightly, sticking a pin through the thick ivory silk. "You'll look fabulous, you know. You'll see. It'll all be worth it in the end." She hummed a note of satisfaction. "I think that should do it. Arms up, Bella – you're free."

I sighed gratefully as she slid the dress up and over my head, and the change in weight as the heavy fabric was lifted from my body was indeed similar to the feeling of being liberated from her shackles.

"Now that we've taken care of that, let's discuss the guest list." She grinned evilly, knowing that she had picked a topic that was bound to be the source of confrontation. "I've taken the liberty of compiling a rather extensive list for you to look over."

"Alice, can't we keep it small? I don't even _know_ that many people." I eyed the list that she had retrieved; there appeared to be at least a hundred names scrawled across the paper in her perfect script.

"Bella, don't forget, this is Edward's wedding just as much as it is yours. Some of the guests are friends of the Cullen family, you know."

I felt a sudden weight in the pit of my stomach. "Oh no," I whispered in horror.

Alice looked at me with bewilderment. "What's the matter? You aren't afraid that we'd invite someone dangers, are you?"

I shook my head. "I'm more worried that you'd invite someone that might cause me . . . personal discomfort."

Alice furrowed her eyebrows for a moment, and then she laughed. "Ooh. In that case, you're right. Carlisle considers Tanya and her clan to be an extended part of our family. Naturally, we are inviting them – especially considering that they don't pose a threat to the unsuspecting humans." She flashed me a wide grin.

I sighed. "Do they _really_ have to come though?" I recalled Rosalie's words suddenly, as clear as if they were being whispered in my ear. _Even when we first met Tanya's clan in Denali – all those females! _I tried to quell the images that floated precariously in my mind; the beautiful Denali females, all beautiful and ungodly, surrounding Edward . . .

I swallowed.

"Bella, don't be ridiculous. They really are lovely people. And besides," She wagged her finger at me, laughing lightly. "You know that he only has eyes for you."

I shrugged. Sure, I knew that now. But what if things appeared differently, once the strawberry blonde enchantress appeared at the Cullen's doorstep? After all, she had shown an interest in Edward . . .

"Now, who are _you_ interested in inviting? Charlie and your mom are a given, of course. And yes, her husband . . . hm." She narrowed her eyes at her list. "Our friends from school are a given, too, of course. Angela and Ben . . . I suppose Jessica and Mike, although that might upset Edward a bit." She snickered at some private joke, but I knew it wasn't worth asking.

"Can we leave it at that, then?" I crossed my fingers – I wanted nothing more than to keep this small.

"Of course not. There's still several more . . ." She muttered something to herself, and then scribbled something onto the paper. "She might not . . ." And then she crossed a name out, frowning slightly.

"You seem to have a good handle on things, Alice." I mustered up a cheerful smile. "Do you think there's a chance that I can be on my way?" My thoughts drifted lazily to Edward, who had been banished from the house; Alice was hell-bent on keeping my dress a secret from him.

"Of course not!" She twisted her face into an expression of mock horror. "We haven't even begun to consider the food!"

"The food . . ." I groaned again. Of course Alice would pretend that she needed my help with that one, pulling the I'm-a-vampire ploy. In reality, even without my help, she would probably compile dishes better than what was available in any five star restaurant.

"Yes, the food. Have to keep the humans happy, you know." She flashed me another wide smile. I scowled at her, crossing my arms.

And then suddenly, her expression went blank, her eyes dazed and unfocused. The guest list fell from her hands, floating gently to the carpet. I knew this expression well, and my heart began to hammer in my chest.

"Alice?" I reached out and touched one of her delicate hands, still poised in mid-air. She was as rigid as a statue, and just as silent.

And then horror bloomed in her honey-colored eyes, her hand suddenly gripping mine in a way that made the bones in my hand feel as if they were on the verge of snapping.

"Bella," Her voice was a muted whisper. Her eyes regained focus, and were magnetically drawn to my own. I was fiercely reminded of the vision that she had had long ago . . . the one of me in the ballet studio . . .

"Alice, what is it?" I struggled to keep the fear out of my voice, but it was useless to try. Panic swirled within me, my heartbeat deadly fast, a dizzy feeling swimming through my head. The ground began to move beneath my feet.

"Need to call him . . . need to tell him . . ." Almost frantically, Alice ripped away from me and yanked the small silver cell phone from her pocket, dialing a number at lightening speed and pressing the phone to her ear. I felt my knees weaken, and the ground lurched again . . .

"Edward, you need to come _now_. I've just seen . . ." But she stopped herself, almost seeming to notice me for the first time. I must not have looked well. She shook her head. "Just . . . _now_."

She was silent for a moment, and then she nodded in satisfaction, snapping the phone shut. "Bella, let's sit you down . . . you look like you're about to pass out." Her voice had taken a business-like tone again, not unlike the one she used when commanding the details about the wedding.

She led me to the living room couch, her arm wrapped around my shoulders. I was afraid to speak, to open my mouth; my stomach was suddenly filled with violent pains as I imagined the worst. What had she seen?

"I don't understand . . . Why _now_?" She closed her eyes, and shook her head. Too dizzy to sit up, I let myself fall sideways, bringing my knees to my chest. I had never seen Alice so rattled before . . .

No. I had. Again, I was fiercely reminded of Alice in the hotel room in Phoenix; the untamed terror in her eyes as her gift showed her my death.

I must have faded in and out of consciousness – in the next moment, Edward was at my side, his face inches from my own.

"Bella . . ." His expression was infused with the same terror as Alice's . . . even more apparently so, with the intense similarity of their eyes. He suddenly crushed me close to his chest, tucking my head under his chin. He had obviously seen whatever it was that had plagued Alice's mind, and it was obviously as bad as my imagination had allowed it to be.

"When?" His voice was dead, lifeless. I shivered, and he pulled me closer.

"I don't know. I can't tell." The shock having worn off, Alice's voice was now one of helplessness. Did I want to know what she had seen? Obviously, no matter what it had been, the end result was clear: something bad was going to happen, and it was going to happen to _me_.

"Bella," he murmured, his lips gently pressing on my forehead. "Don't worry, we'll . . ."

But he could not bring himself to say the words, for he knew they'd be a lie. Which meant that whatever was happening, it was final.

I decided that I did want to know what was going to happen; I had a right to know, at least.

"Edward . . . tell me, please." My voice carried no strength, no courage. My fear was raw and unadulterated.

He was silent; obviously, there was an internal debate to be had. Was it better to protect me from such undesirable knowledge, or was it better to simply tell me?

"Alice . . . she sees you dead. She doesn't know why, or how . . ." He stopped, but I knew that there was more. He was holding back. I stared into his eyes, his terror making my heart pound to the point in which pain began to radiate through my chest.

"You were attacked." He closed his eyes, his expression twisting into one of agony. "You were attacked . . . and you're . . ."

I was suddenly pressed tight against him once more, as if it caused him physical pain to have even the slightest amount of space between us. I did not understand; surely there was a way to stop this? Alice's visions weren't set in stone . . .

"Who?" I managed to whisper. Alice _had_ to know that, at least. Her visions weren't so vague . . .

After another moment of silence, Edward breathed a word in my ear that filled me with dread.

"Volturi."


	5. Precautions

5

5. P R E C A U T I O N S

--

_Volturi_.

Of course they were coming back.

Of course they would never leave me alone . . . would never let Edward and I be.

The light airiness of the afternoon, the high spirits of preparing to live with Edward forever . . . it all fell away, leaving me with nothing but the bitter truth:

I was doomed. _We_ were doomed.

I had not realized that I had lost consciousness until I was suddenly very aware of Edward's lips on skin, my name a soft lament of his breath.

I slowly opened my eyes, absorbing all that I could; the hard, stone composure of his expression, the taut line of his jaw.

"It's late," he murmured, his hand gently tracing the curve of my cheek. "Charlie will be worried."

I nodded robotically, slowly sitting up. I was surprised by the odd, weightless feeling that settled in my limbs. Edward seemed to sense this, and slid his arm around me, supporting my weight as I attempted to stand.

I barely noticed Alice in the corner, still as a statue, her eyes tightly closed. Meditating, I realized . . . hoping to find another future, another fate . . .

The ground felt dangerously near. I closed my eyes as the room swerved, only vaguely aware of the stone arms that caught me.

I was very aware, however, when the owner of the stone arms pressed his lips to mine. My eyes fluttered open, surprised at the intensity of the kiss. It was enough to set my heart racing, my blood boiling . . . even now, when I knew what was coming . . .

"Bella," Edward's voice was strong, firm. "I promise that we will find a way out of this. There's always a way. Never give up hope." His hand cupped my chin, lifting my face so that I could see the overwhelming declaration that touched his honey eyes; they burned with intensity, as if he had never spoken words with more truth to them.

Did I dare to feel hope? It was hard not to – easy, even, to believe that we would escape another nightmare, dodge another bullet.

But hadn't I learned before that hope was sometimes a foolish thing to hang on to?

I caught a sudden movement out of the corner of my eye; Alice had shifted in position, wearing a contemplative expression. "Not entirely unavoidable, maybe . . ." She shook her head, muttering.

Hope filled Edward's eyes, then, his hands grasping mine. "You see, Bella? All is not lost."

But again, I could sense a certain lack of confidence in his words.

The ride home was long and quiet. I was grateful that Edward could not hear the fear that rampaged through my mind, leaving violent scenarios in its wake.

In every scenario, though the contrast between each was wild, one thing rang true : it was inevitable that my forever with Edward was going to be ripped away from me.

I closed my eyes, sinking into the leather of the car seat. Why _now_? Everything had been going so perfectly . . . we were going to be married . . . I was going to become one of them . . .

I wasn't aware of the tears that had pushed their way out of my eyes until Edward had brushed them away, his hand soft and gentle. "Please don't be afraid. I swear to you, Bella . . . I _will_ protect you. The Volturi will _not_ harm you."

I wanted to believe the words; I _ached_ to believe them.

But it wasn't only me that I was worried about.

What would happen if the Volturi took Edward, first? What if . . .

I shook my head. _No_. I would _not _allow myself to think that way. I would simply treasure each moment that Edward and I had together – for any moment could be our last.

"Would you be opposed to joining Charlie and I for dinner?" They were the first words I had spoken in a while, and in result, my voice was dry and cracked. Edward smiled lightly, his hand still resting on the curve of my cheek.

"I can't really _join_ you for dinner, Bella . . . but I'll sit with you, if that would suffice." The dry humor in his voice had been for me, I knew; he wanted me to smile, to hold faith in his promise. And so I pulled my lips into the strongest smile that I could manage, hoping to make my expression lighten.

"We have to desensitize Charlie, after all. Get him use to the idea of spending time with his future son-in-law." That, and the fact that I refused to let Edward out of my sight. If the idea of separation had been uncomfortable before, it was now intolerable.

He studied my face for a moment, his eyes penetrating my own. I kept my features blank, hoping that my eyes wouldn't betray me.

He laughed lightly after a moment, the car pulling into the familiar driveway.

"Charlie's worried already, of course. Afraid we'll elope." He grinned. "I'm sure you wouldn't be opposed to such an idea?"

I considered the idea for a moment, though I knew that he was merely joking; he was still attempting to lighten my mood with humor. Eloping was suddenly an attractive idea; after all, the sooner the better . . .

Instead of spinning scenarios of my impending death, my mind instead imagined the alternate future, and how it would play out. The sooner we were married, the sooner Edward would be able to change me . . .

And if I were changed sooner, I wouldn't have to worry about the Volturi.

After all, why else would they be coming to kill me? Obviously, this had to do with my mortality.

I was instantly soothed; the solution to the problem was so simple. Why hadn't I thought of it before?

I knew bringing it up now would immediately darken Edward's mood, and that wouldn't be helpful – not now, when he was about to join me inside of the house. I instead packaged the thought away for later, when we would be alone . . .

I groaned inwardly. I knew how that conversation would go. _Never out of fear_, Edward had told me, when the similar situation had come up all but a few months ago.

No. I would make him understand – surely this was a justifiable solution, for such a reason?


	6. Plans

6

**6. P L A N S**

--

Edward was unusually quiet that night. If I hadn't known better, I would have thought that he had somehow caught the vibes of my thoughts; the desire to marry early, to run away, to become a vampire all the more quicker . . .

Dinner with Charlie had been uneventful; somewhat pleasant, at best. While Charlie hadn't been at his worst, he hadn't done all much more than exchange a few awkward words, grunting in response to anything that Edward had said.

I lay with my head on his chest, my body still and calm as he hummed my lullaby in my ear. I had never been more sure of such a decision – confident enough, even, to feel that Edward would not be able to refuse such an offer.

I gathered the right words, formulated the right responses to potential reactions . . . and then I cleared my throat.

"Edward . . . I've been thinking."

He hummed a note of acknowledgement, his fingers loosely playing with my hair.

I inhaled deeply. "It's just that . . . given the circumstances . . . I thought that maybe it'd be best to make the change sooner than later."

I heard him groan, and he shifted his body in a way that allowed me to gaze at his troubled face. "Bella, _no_. I've said it before, and I'll say it again; I'll never let you make a hasty decision, simply based on fear."

I bit my lip, stifling a giggle. Hadn't I predicted those words? "I'm not afraid, Edward. Not of that, anyway." I sighed, my hand reaching for his. "I mean, I'm scared for whatever Alice has seen . . ." I shrugged. "But I've wanted become one of you – to seal my fate – for a very long time now. If we do it just a tad sooner out of precaution, what's so wrong with that?"

"What's so _wrong_ with that?" He shook his head at me, repeating my words scathingly. "Bella, what about your friends? Your family? You're not ready to say goodbye yet – I'm sure of that."

This was somewhat true. I thought for a moment, before shrugging carelessly. "I won't just leave without giving notice, Edward. I'll figure something out. But as of now, I think it's pretty stupid to wait a few months . . . when so much could go wrong."

I did not miss the flash of uncertainty in his eyes. "Nothing will go wrong, Bella. I'm sure of that. I will _not_ let anything happen to you."

"You say that now . . ." I shook my head, my voice trailing off into a whisper. "And I know that you'll do everything in your power to protect me. But what if that's just not enough?"

And then Edward pulled me on top of him, his fingers tightly locked with mine, our foreheads pressed together.

"Never say that . . . never _think_ it. The Volturi have no power over us; not now, when we've overcome so much. I swear to you, Bella; no harm will come to you." And again the strange confidence filled his eyes; he seemed so sure, and my doubts began to scatter.

We were both silent for a long time, and my eyelids grew heavy. As they began to drift closed, Edward set me down gently, pulling the discarded quilt over me. My last conscious thought was of his arms circling my waist, his hands cool on my skin.

--

"Something new," Edward commented lightly as we pulled into the Cullen's drive.

"Come again?" I hid a yawn beneath my hand; sleep had not been easy for me last night. I had had restless dreams of leering faces, pale beneath the folds of a dark cloak, dotted with searing red eyes.

"Alice," he said curtly, narrowing his eyes slightly. The corners of his mouth turned down, but he appeared more perplexed than upset by whatever it was that he was hearing.

Alice was sitting in nearly the same exact position that she had been in the day before, her eyes still closed; her pale face was serene enough to make her look as if she were sleeping. She nodded her head in acknowledgement to our arrival, one corner of her mouth twisting upward.

"Hi, Bella." Her eyes snapped open then, as weary as they were lovely. "How are you?"

I snorted. "Oh, you know. Impending doom. The usual."

Alice gave me a stern look, although she did smile after a moment. "It's always something with you, isn't it?" She shook her head, sighing. "Thankfully, I think we might be able to sidestep this one . . ."

My pulse quickened in anticipation. "Why? What's changed?"

"It's not so much that anything's changed as it is that more has been revealed . . . it's not the entirety of the Volturi that will be coming."

My shoulders slumped. I had hoped that whatever had suddenly fueled the Volturi's desire to come had died out.

"Let me finish." Her eyes briefly flickered toward Edward before settling on the floor. "It's actually not the Volturi itself that's coming, but its guard. Jane, Alec, Felix, Demetri . . ." She shook her head in puzzlement. "If it were something huge, _everyone_ would be coming. Aro, especially."

"But . . ." I recalled the Volturi's recent visit, remembering how odd it had been when Aro had not shown up. Hadn't that been a large enough situation?

"No," Edward turned to me suddenly, his eyes intense with concentration. "That was different, love. If you recall, they everything but helpful." He considered that for a moment, chuckling lightly. "Had they really been interested in destroying the newborn army, had we not have been involved, we would have had quite a full visit."

"Why is that, though? Is there a common thread between this new visit and the last?" Alice stood, a contemplative expression on her face. Edward shrugged.

"Your guess is better than mine, Alice. But if the previous cruel intentions still remain strong . . . that could account for their sudden haste to take care of Bella's situation."

I grimaced. "Situation". An ugly word, in this context . . .

"When Carlisle returns from his hunting trip, I suggest you mention this to him. I'm sure he'll have his own input."

Alice frowned. "Why? Where will you be?"

"I'll be keeping close to Bella until then, Alice. Just in case."

"It's not going to happen for a while, you know . . . I can tell you that much."

They rattled on for a while, and I slumped down on the comfortable white couch. They had seemed so concerned the night before . . . why were they taking it so lightly now? I had been so sure of my plans . . . Eloping with Edward, transforming within the next month . . .

"Bella." Alice's voice was sharp, suddenly. "May I speak with you upstairs for a moment?"

Edward muttered something beneath his breath that was too low for me to hear. Alice laughed in response, yanking lightly on my arm. "Don't even think about listening, Edward. This isn't for you to hear."

She flew up the Cullen's staircase in a matter of seconds, crossing her arms impatiently over her chest while I took as much time as I could to tread up the steps. When I finally reached the top, she was tugging my arm again, leading me to her bedroom.

"Now," She closed the door firmly behind me, and then shot me a look of annoyance. "What's this about eloping?"

I groaned, sinking to the floor; Alice's bright pink carpet was as thick enough to serve as a cushion, and I was grateful as I rested the back of my head against her wall. "Alice, really. This _really_ isn't the time."

"You're right, Bella. It isn't. Was this Edward's idea?" She muttered angrily under her breath, resting one hand on her hip. "No, no, this was all you. You haven't even _told_ him yet, and I already see it happening . . ."

I felt a surge of hope. "Really? We're eloping?"

Alice scowled at me. "No, Bella. You will _not_. Are you _insane_? After all the preparations? The planning?"

I shrugged. "I figured we could have another ceremony later . . . when things were safe."

Alice snorted. "Right, Bella. I'm sure you'll be able to focus on your vows when your maddening thirst kills all of your lovely human friends."

Oh. Right. There was that. "Alice, please. I don't how much time I have left . . . if I even have enough time to _make_ it to that wedding, bloodthirsty killer or not."

"Really, Bella. Haven't you any faith in my ability? If I see that they're coming, then, well . . ." She flashed me a bright smile. "I'll pay for your tickets to Vegas. But if you just wait a little bit longer . . . I can have everything pushed up a little." She sighed. "Although, that will be a bit of a pain . . . I'm sure it's nothing that a little bit of cash can't take care of, though."

I gaped at her. Was she losing her mind?

"Excellent. You can go now," She pulled the door open, smiling brightly at me. "Everything's right as rain now."

An approaching visit from the Volturi, my impending death, Alice's psychotic plans . . . this was all just too much for me to bear.


	7. Theory

**7. T H E O R Y**

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

For the next few weeks, time passed disconcertingly quickly. Alice continued to assault me with a rapid fire of assorted wedding arrangements…you never would have thought that details like napkins would be important to a wedding, but according to Alice, such detail was crucial. I knew better, though; she was trying to distract me from thinking about the Volturi.

But while discussing flower arrangements and hor d'oeuvres was now part of my daily routine, it did little to help keep my mind from straying towards unwanted thoughts. Each day felt more like a ticking bomb, declaring how much time I had left until the Volturi's arrival.

"Listen, Bella," Alice had told me earlier today when I had asked about an update; any sort of news pertaining to what might happen. "Right now, everything's too vague for me to really give you an answer. But that means that they're indecisive; the second the future is clear, I promise to tell you. Now, would you hold still while I do this? You're only making things harder for yourself."

And so I sighed as I always did when I received such a response, and allowed her to make what felt like the thousandth adjustment to my gown.

Edward, however, seemed a little more preoccupied with the future. Although he didn't think I knew, I often saw him glancing at me with clear concern etched onto his face, as if the Volturi might burst through the door at any moment and steal me away. He kissed me more often and more passionately, and held me tighter in his arms; it was as if he valued every moment as our last.

I was sprawled across my bed that night, my chin in my hands, Edward sitting on the floor with his back pressed against the wall. I looked at him thoughtfully; he was staring at the ground, his eyes unfocused, a frown etched into his face. It wasn't hard to guess what he was thinking about.

"It's not too late, you know."

He jolted back to reality, and quickly glanced up at me. "For what?"

"You know what for." And he did; _of course_ he did. Our ageless argument.

"Bella," He stood up slowly and I rolled over so that he could join me on the bed. "I'm not

going to lie to you; with everything going on, don't think that I haven't considered it."

I looked at him in shock; he had _considered it_? That couldn't be right…

Unless Alice _was_ keeping something from me…

Edward sighed. "It just seems like…things would be _easier_ if we would just go ahead and make the change. Don't think that you don't make sense to me Bella; in fact, in this scenario, your offer seems highly irrefutable. Why put off the inevitable? I'm all for making you safer…"

He held my hands in his now, and his eyes locked onto mine.

"And the more I think about it…Well, I'd hate to lose you because of something as frivolous as wanting to preserve your soul - which, in comparison, means nothing compared to the loss of _you_, all of you - especially when we are so close to leaping the final hurdle."

"Edward…you know that I'd be willing to drop everything and do it now. You _know_ that."

He sighed again, and looked away.

"I _do_ know that. But I also feel, partly, that doing so would be so…_final_. I would do anything to keep you human for just a little longer…simply because I feel that you have loose ends to tie up in your life before I steal you away."

I frowned. "There are no loose ends that can't be tied when I'm changed. I honestly believe that."

"And, Bella…I haven't forgotten your request."

Ah. I felt the white-hot heat spread from my neck and upward.

Because he was right. While I would give anything to become a vampire at this very moment, I would also give anything to live out that one last human experience first…

"I might…be willing to make an exception, Bella." His finger lightly traced the curve of my cheek, a drastic contrast to the fire beneath my skin. "Begrudgingly so, but all the same…"

I inhaled deeply, trying to clear my mind. Of _course_ I wanted it; I wanted it with every fiber of my being. There was no doubt that Edward…would be amazing. It was hard not to let my thoughts wander, to drift lazily to the scene that I had so often imagined; Edward gently removing my gown as his hands crept beneath the fabric, his touch fire and ice at the same time…

It would be especially hard to tell him what I needed to tell him next.

"Contrary to what you might think…it's not always about me, Edward. I've gotten used to the idea of our time being after the wedding…I've even grown fond of the idea."

It was true. What had seemed deathly embarrassing months ago now seemed entirely tolerable, as the wedding date drew nearer. I somehow liked the idea of making it official; and although a man in black had little say in the matter of whether or not I was Edward's and he was mine, it would still be amazingly nice to _hear _it, regardless.

Edward smiled, his eyes warming in a way that made my heart flutter. "Have I finally gotten to you, then?"

I laughed lightly. "I have. And I'm willing to wait - I truly am - unless there is something that you've been keeping from me."

He looked puzzled now, the smile slowly withdrawing. "Like what?"

"Every day I ask Alice whether or not she's seen anything else, and every day, she tries to distract me…"

He didn't answer me for a long moment, and his silence was enough to accelerate my pulse in anticipation. When he finally spoke, he seemed to be very careful in the way he chose his words.

"She hasn't been lying to you, because she hasn't…_seen_ anything, per se. The vision remains the same; the Volturi guard, arriving, at some unknown time…"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "But…?"

He smiled grimly. "Carlisle thinks that it _is_ very telling that the Volturi themselves aren't coming along. He thinks it means that a change is taking place…something big."

"And what do you think?"

"I think he's right. The guard…Jane, in particular…their thoughts aren't quite like Aro's, for instance. Aro enjoys collecting power so that it is always in an available position; he likes to know that he has all of the aces in his hand. He might not be willing to use it in all scenarios, but it comforts him to know what he has in his deck."

"And Jane? The others?"

"They _adore_ power. Not just having it; using it. You've seen how much she enjoys using her power; and how angered she is when it doesn't work. Vampires like Jane enjoy causing people pain, simply because they relish the idea of being above someone, of _crushing_ them…"

"So, what do you think that means in relevance to what's happening?"

"Let me finish. People like Jane, with an offensive power especially, believe that it is foolish not to use it at _all_ costs, as a necessary method of gaining _everything_ that they want; in their case, domination."

"So…the guard members are tired of having a backseat role?"

"Precisely. They've had enough with Aro and his antics; they're tired of simply possessing power, when they have a chance at actually using it."

I took a moment to absorb the information. Jane herself was leagues more frightening than Aro…and if it was truly domination that she sought…

"But I would have thought that the Volturi were coming to punish us for not yet having turned me…if your theory is correct, then…?"

He shook his head at me. "Our best guess is that they're coming for our 'coven', and not for you. Of course, seeing as you might pose a threat to them once you become one of us - you've seen how much Aro would have liked to have added you to his collection - they might think it wise that they get rid of you in the process."

I could not stop myself from shivering. Edward's hands were suddenly cradling my face, his eyes intense. "But we wouldn't let that happen; Bella, you _must_ understand that!"

And I did. But that wasn't what was bothering me.

_Our best guess is that they're coming for our 'coven', and not for you…_

I could not bear the idea of having anything happen to any of the Cullens…they _were_ my family now.

And Edward…

"If they came tomorrow…would you be ready for them?"

It wasn't an easy question to ask, and Edward seemed to have trouble answering it; most likely because he was debating over whether or not I should hear the truth.

"I don't know," he whispered, his eyes having trouble meeting mine. "I really don't know. That's why I'm so worried. About you. About everything."

I nodded, and positioned myself so that I was curled up against his chest. "You need to be ready. I need you to tell me that you _all_ will be ready in time."

The next answer was difficult for him as well: "I can't tell you that, and be telling the truth. There is no way of knowing when they will be arriving…and there is no way of truly knowing if we will be ready."

We didn't speak after that, but as I grew too tired to stay awake, silent tears streamed down my cheeks; Edward didn't notice.

"You need to be ready. I can't lose you either, you know."

The catch in my breath gave me away. As I slipped into what was sure to be an array of troublesome dreams, he pulled me closer to his form, his lullaby for me soft in my ear.

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**It's been a while, but I'm back! (:**

**(Please excuse the poor formatting for this chapter…I'm using Microsoft Works now, which seems to not work in quite the same way as Microsoft Word…ah well. Seriously though, it SUCKS.)**


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